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Understanding the Relationship between Productivity and Your HVAC System

Staying focused and productive in a world of distractions is hard enough without having to deal with discomfort. When you’re a hardworking business owner in Charlotte, North Carolina, productivity is likely a vital aspect of your life and the lives of your 9-to-5 employees. There are plenty of distractions out there trying to pull your attention away from your work, but there are also many measures you can take to ensure that the productivity of your entire office keeps up with your goals.

Smart and maximized utilization of your business’s HVAC system is key to maintaining productivity in your office and minimizing the annoying distraction of discomfort. How do these two elements relate? Read on to find out.

Comfort and Productivity

Think of the last time you were too hot. What about too cold? Could you focus on the task at hand, or were you focused on how cold or how hot you were? You’re not alone. Discomfort distracts people and decreases their performance. What makes it worse is that your office’s employees probably feel that they have no control over the temperature, leading to greater distraction.

You can increase the productivity of your employees by taking this into account and learning what temperatures are most comfortable for them. Women tend to like their workspace warmer than men, who prefer the temperature closer to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As people age, they also become even more distracted by the discomfort of temperatures that are too high or too low, so be aware of the needs of each of your employees while trying to find a happy medium.

Measures to Increase Productivity

On the professional leadership level, what can you do to increase the productivity of your employees? Find their general preference in workspace climate and adjust your thermostat accordingly.

If there is a huge divide over temperature preference and productivity levels are low enough to consider such measures, create separate zones that are each maintained at a different temperature. A smart thermostat would be a worthwhile investment in this case. Pay careful attention to make sure your more seasoned employees are comfortable in their respective zone. The quality of work that they give you can only be maximized in comfortable, productive temperatures.

Air Quality and Productivity

Not only do temperature control and your HVAC system work together to produce a comfortable, productive workplace, but indoor air quality also has a significant impact. In fact, poor indoor air quality may decrease performance by up to 6 to 9 percent. That’s a significant chunk, considering all of the other elements working against your company’s productivity already.

Poor air quality can result from a number of issues, ranging from dirty ducts to clogged or dirty filters. When your HVAC system doesn’t have a good handle on your air quality, it gives dust, dirt, mold, and other allergens free rein to travel throughout your workspace. These baddies can cause anything from headaches, sore throats, and runny noses to full-blown illness — and that’s not even including the risks for any employees or coworkers.

Improving Air Quality

With proper care and usage, your HVAC system can become an efficient, air-cleaning machine that keeps your indoor air quality (IAQ) high, healthy, and comfortable. Checking and changing your air filter (or having a professional do so) is the first step to maintaining healthy air. You could also consider installing an air purifier, which cleans the air much more thoroughly than a standard filter. Beyond those, the final step (and probably the easiest) is to keep your workplace clean — especially around vents and heat registers, where the air could be blowing collected dust throughout your office’s workspaces.

Better air quality means healthy employees, and healthy employees are productive employees. Excellent indoor air quality in league with personalized temperature control will lead to a more highly productive office environment.

If you have more questions about how your HVAC system can benefit your commercial environment, give us a call at 704-392-6188.